Interior Minister Sa'ar Moves to Revoke Terror Convict's Citizenship

Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar has initiated proceedings to revoke the citizenship of Ziad Mahmoud Aref Jabareen, a resident of Umm al-Fahm convicted of aiding an enemy during wartime and receiving funds from the Palestinian Authority. Sa'ar announced his intention to petition the Administrative Affairs Court to cancel Jabareen's citizenship, citing Section 11 of the 1952 Citizenship Law. This law permits the Interior Minister to revoke citizenship for offenses constituting acts of terror, imprisonment, and receiving terror-linked funds.

Jabareen's conviction stems from actions in 2001 and 2002. He purchased weapons and ammunition from a West Bank resident and sold them to Palestinian Authority police officers affiliated with Fatah. He also transported two individuals from the Jenin area, one holding an Israeli ID, knowing they were en route to carry out a suicide bombing with a 10-kilogram explosive belt. Jabareen further instructed the bomber on reaching the Israeli town of Karkur for the attack and helped him evade security forces.

In 2004, Jabareen was sentenced to 20 years in prison for these nationalist-motivated acts. The sentencing emphasized the presence of citizens who betray their loyalty and assist enemies in carrying out deadly attacks. Based on these actions and his receipt of funds from the Palestinian Authority, Sa'ar decided to pursue immediate citizenship revocation.

Sa'ar's appointment as Interior Minister, concurrently with his Foreign Minister role, was approved by the government just yesterday, filling a vacant position for a year. This appointment is temporary, pending the formation of a new government, and does not require Knesset approval as it is for a transitional government.